Written Christmas 2018

It’s Christmas Eve Night here in the Big House. I am sitting here pondering my release next year.

All my life I have lived on the outside of that circle that society has defined as theirs. Me not being worthy of admittance inside like so many left behind by Americans, because of their unworthiness to be included. I am reminded how even Christ was unworthy to be born in some nice home instead of out in the barn yard in a manger. Even He was unworthy.

My first year out I fully intend to bring some attention to some of the instances of how being rejected simply because some one is different, ragged, broken, abused, filthy and homeless hurts. To be a voice of one crying out in the wilderness. Proclaiming that I am not the one that is special. Not a single word I speak comes from some high place. I only point the way! My job is to point your thoughts and heart in the right direction.

Then I doze off, as us old men sometimes do…

There I am standing before a multitude of people from all walks of life. They are all crowded around as if expecting me to say something. Then I begin as if someone else is speaking through me. I reach into the pocket of my Big Smith overalls and produce a $100 dollar bill. Then hold it up for all to see that it is in fact authentic with Mr. Franklin there looking solemn as always. I ask the multitude “How many of you would like this bill?” there was a loud cry and “Me!” came all at the same time. Now I take it and wad it into a little ball and hold it out on my open Palm “Now who wants it?” again “ME!” “Here give it to me!” they cried. now I drop it to the ground and take my boot and stomp it into the ground screwing my foot around on it. I squat down and dig it out of the earth and standing as I unfold it standing where all can see I spit on it and again wad it up. Now I ask again who wants it now still the cries go up “give it to me please!” Then I take it and drop it again to the ground and stomp in and grind it into the earth. I look at the crowd, then again retrieve it and unfold it again now it is all stained and ugly, I take it in both hands and tear it in half and wad the two halves up in a single ball and ask once again who wants it now. There is still cries “Give it to me!”

See no matter what I did to that $100 dollar bill every one wants it. Why? Because it has not lost its worth. Still it is worth just the same as when it was brand new. It is the same with any living being. Life in any form has value because it is in God that it lives and moves and has its being. See its not things like paper or gold that gives value to anything its the idea that it represents and that idea is that, In God we Trust. I think that was the same message that Christ came here and suffered the existence on this plane to demonstrate. Then I tossed the ragged, torn, abused, filthy bill out into the Multitude and smiled as I watched them scramble to get that ragged old idea.. 

Merry Christmas Aubrey Dean Elwood 12-24-18